Asia-Pacific region overview

Asia Today: Sydney lifts quarantine for N. Zealand travelers SYDNEY (AP) — Australia’s largest city, Sydney, lifted quarantine restrictions on travelers from New Zealand on Friday while the second largest city, Melbourne, marked the 100th day of one of the... AP NEWS

SYDNEY (AP) — Australia’s largest city, Sydney, lifted quarantine restrictions on travelers from New Zealand on Friday while the second largest city, Melbourne, marked the 100th day of one of the world’s longest pandemic lockdowns.

More than 350 passengers were scheduled to take three flights from Auckland on Friday and will not have to undergo hotel quarantine on arrival in Sydney. ...

New Zealand will continue to insist that travelers from Australia quarantine in hotels for 14 days on arrival...

In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region:

— India’s confirmed coronavirus fatalities jumped to 895 in the past 24 hours, a day after recording the lowest daily deaths of 680 in nearly three months. The Health Ministry on Friday also reported 63,371 new cases, raising India’s total to more than 7.3 million, second in the world behind the U.S. ....

— South Korea’s daily coronavirus tally has dropped below 50 for the first time in more than two weeks despite reports of small-scale local infections. ...Earlier this week, South Korea relaxed its social distancing rules, allowing high-risk venues like nightclubs and karaoke bars to reopen and spectators to return to sport stadiums.

— Authorities have completed tests on more than 10 million people in the northern Chinese port city of Qingdao after a hospital outbreak there blamed on “inappropriate disinfection. ” Testing is set to continue to cover 11 million people, including more than 9 million citizens as well as those lacking formal residency. A total of 13 cases have been discovered in the city, but none since the mass testing program was launched earlier this week. ...

— Sri Lankan authorities have ordered the closure all cinemas in a bid to contain an outbreak that has so far infected 1,791 people in the capital’s suburbs. ..